I wish I could have start drawing earlier

[calitart]

Hey, do you guys ever have or have had regrets before? As for me, I wish I could have started to work on my comics earlier in my younger days. I'm 23 at the moment but it feels like I wasted so much time and the potential I could have or gain. People around me always tell me that I couldn't make a living off of art and to just abandon it. The thing is, I can't. I force myself to stay away and denied what I wanted. Everything I did fail and suck the enjoyment out of me. But, now, I find that drawing comics is what I truly love... Even though I made next to nothing. The thing that I truly, definitely regret is not starting out earlier. Now, I feel like an old grouchy cat lady.

[puppetbomb]

My husband started drawing at 27. (He doesn't update that site anymore ;n; )

Unfortunately his current job will always pay more and be more stable than a job in visual art, so he has no plans to switch careers.

It's amazing what people can accomplish in two, three years if they throw themselves into it, so don't lose heart!

[futureboundentertain]

I feel much the same, I really wish I had put real effort into learning how to draw before now...

[infectedbloodcomics]

Oh, come on, I'm 43, and finally getting to this now! I don't feel like I've wasted my time, I simply have a lot of passions and got into this one later in life. I would suggest to pour yourself into it while holding some sort of a job, so you won't have to scramble for food

[SandraMJ]

The best moment to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now

And 23 is still super young to begin working. A coworker of mine started when he was 38, and now he's a successful DC penciller.

[Kamikaze]

I've felt that way on writing and art all the time. When I really feel kind of frozen up by it, I just listen to this guy (Ira Glass) talk about 'The Gap'.

[Luminosophy]

I'ver been drawing since the age of 4 or 5 (20 ish years in total) and I can tell you for sure the only time any meaningful improvement happens is when you actually try. Even those of us who started early waste our time too.

[DynamoToon]

I regret not staying in touch with my old friends... I still miss them.

[joannekwan]

Not really, because my style was shit several years ago. At least now I can do my series justice.

I started drawing since I could hold a pencil so really things will just get better with time. The only thing I regret is not starting to do commissions earlier.

[DeadAccount]

23's still young I know someone who started drawing in their late 20s and became a professional concept artist within a couple of years. It's about working both hard and smart, and staying motivated. (easier said than done, of course...)

I regret not getting into comics sooner as well, but it took me years to start valuing my free time and develop some kind of work ethic. Kinda sucks, since I had much more free time back in school/uni.

[GlenMiles]

It's really easy to get caught up in not doing something earlier in ones life, but it's never too late to get started on a task if you're passionate about it. Work smart and hard, but give yourself time to breathe, you don't want to burn out. In just a few years time you'll see improvements you may have never thought possible. It's not a race, and as others have said you're still quite young, I'm only a few years older than you but it's taken me a decade to get where I am and I still have a long way to go as well.

Treat art as a life long pursuit and keep your mind focused forward, it's a long game so try and have some fun while you play.

[Zanreo]

Yeah... while I never stopped drawing ever since I started as a kid, it took me years and years to actually start trying to improve (it wasn't before 14-15 I actually bothered to start with sketches and tr to learn proper proportions)
I feel like I should be "better" at drawing at 21 years old, especially when seeing 15-16-year olds who are better than me.

[UzukiCheverie]

especially when seeing 15-16-year olds who are better than me.

Yes, but often times those 15-16 year olds are just one-trick ponies that can't draw anything but busts, furries, etc. I have a classmate who can only really draw chibi demon characters and . . . well that's it. He's good at drawing chibi demon characters, but not much else. I'd consider a person's full portfolio over the course of several years, including their life drawing work, to be a better show of their skill than the stuff they have put up on DeviantArt or Facebook :U

[bsienk90]

You're only 23. You're still younger then me. its never to late to follow your passion. I've been doing this my entire life and went to college and see 18 year olds 1000 times better then me and with wayyyy more followers but if I let that be some sort of regret that I didn't do X, Y, and Z I'd only hurt myself. Regret, I think, only holds you back. let it go and push forward.

[Vikiro_Hop]

I'm 23 as well.

I just now started taking drawing seriously after trying to juggle a few creative outlets. I kinda wish I had kept with it a bit more earlier, but at the same time all the other things like music, skateboarding, and writing have all shaped my outlook. Now that I bounced around so much it has given me drive and most importantly a goal that I can reach.

I think the best part about it all is that I can actually see myself getting better and learning to utilize different tools. It might take a long time, but I want to at least strive to make this sorta the way I make a living.

[abbastudios]

Oh please, stop whining.

Grandma Mose started painting in her 80s.
Rodney Dangerfield started stand- up in his 50s

Both of them and many others with late life starts had successful careers.

It doesn't matter when you start. It's important that you do start. Learn from the past, don't dwell on it.

I'm a tough love kind of person.

[allenthomas]

I feel have regrets like these sometimes. I'm 25 now and at times I wish I could have started at like 17 or 18. However, my artwork would have looked so different if I started then (and not in a good way) and I wouldn't have the discipline to update as often as I do now or to work as hard. I have times where I feel these regrets, but I try not to let them get to me.

[stephanielopez]

Same. but hey better late than never is what I have to say. TBH i am still young, but I have been only drawing for almost 2 years now, on the 28th of august is when it becomes two years. I am turning 19 at the end of October, but still i wish I could have started younger and not be shy about wanting to draw. being in college doesn't provide a lot of time o.o Especially with finally showing my comic to the world. x.x

[SpavVy]

It's not too late, just start practicing now.

[scythe]

If I started my comic 5 years ago, it probably would have been shite.